Factors related to children's participation in decision-making and activities: elementary and middle school students

Abstract

Objectives: This study aims to examine the actual status of children's participation, to subdivide factors related to child participation into children, families, schools, and communities, and to propose measures to activate child participation based on the results. Methods: Good Neighbors' “Child Rights Status Survey” data collected from a total of 8,864 elementary and middle school students and their parents (guardians) were used. SPSS 24.0 program was used to analyze child participation and related factors, and frequency analysis, t-test, and multiple regression analysis were conducted. Results: Children's participation was examined focusing on decision-making participation and participation activities. The main relevant factors are as follows. Child factors were identified as significant factors in both the decision-making process participation and participation activity models, such as child recognition and discrimination experiences, family factors recognition of the child's rights agreement, school factors, and community factors such as the number of educational types and satisfaction with school life. Lack of access to information, respect for children's rights at home and in schools, and experience of corporal punishment at home were significant in the decision-making participation model, and the duration of child-friendly cities in the area where children live and the number of students per teacher were significant in the participation activity model. Conclusions: To boost children's participation, the study proposes to strengthen children's awareness of rights, to prepare various educational programs, to strengthen child-led activities, to create a democratic family/school atmosphere, and to establish a community-level child participation system.